Going to replace both CV shafts on the Tracker.  One's got a split boot and the other still has 115,000 on it.

I've done a couple of CV shaft replacements on both sides of 89-98 Trackers.  Put a spacer lift on a '03 Grand Vitara once and had to almost pull the CV for that.

When I pulled the passenger side (US) shafts from the first Gen there was nothing harder than it just being a general PITA to get that long F'er out of there with everything in the way.  Reading my GM service manual it says I need to drop the front diff to pull the CV shaft out of the Passenger side (US)?  Is this correct?

What's this circlip thing it keeps talking about?  I remember a heavy wire coil thingy...I think...from last time.

To get out the passenger side, you have two choices - drop the diff (which would not be my choice) OR disconnect the knuckle so you can get the shaft out - disconnecting the knuckle is easier, as long as you remember to put a jack under the control arm..

The circlip is a circular spring wire clip that fits in a groove in the CV stub to retain it in the diff side gear - more oftem than not, it doesnot compress to allow the stub to pull free and you end up breaking it (the wire circlip) - it's not that big of a problem as long as you get all the pieces out of the diff.

Here's pics of those circlips on the end of the axle side they refer to.  It helps if you rotate your CV between taps as you are driving it out to help center up the circlip on the spline shaft to give it an 'opportunity' to compress together versus hook on the lip of the side gear in the diff.

Okay.  I remember that circlip then.

If it breaks I take it I have to take the 3rd out of the housing?

Wondering about dropping the whole differential.  It's spent it's life in the rust belt and it isn't horrible but that probably means the knuckle probably wouldn't come off easy.

Wish me luck.  Going at this on Saturday.  Hopefully I get it all done.  School starts again in 3 weeks and I won't have time after that.

im confused on this, my vitara has two short shafts on both sides, passenger side is held on with a clip on an end and a snap ring in the other, i know i just take the ball joint off and the tie rod then move the spindle off the way and slide out the cv at the same time, for the driver side its even easie, i have to remove the snap ring and then 3 bolts and the whole thing just slides off, what year is that tracker? i got a few friends and they all got the same set up as mine

It's the same setup as yours - both generations of Tracker use a similar design - the differences are internal to the diff assembly - the drive shafts come out the same way.

difftoyota, that's two pics of the (same) end of the passenger CV.   You are right, the driver side is held on with 3 bolts to an inner axle... and the inner axle has the same circlip type spring on the end of it inside the diff.

ak the way i took it was like if the inner and outer shaft was one piece (no 3 bolt)

Starting this in a while.  Wish me luck.



FYI - I think a while back 1st gen Tracker guys who were offroading but keeping IFS were trying to make it so both sides of the diff used stub shafts like the d-side.  They made some kind of short shaft for the P-side that worked with a D-side shaft and bolted on.  Easy shaft replacement since the breakages is usually the CV's.

Starting this in a while.  Wish me luck.

FYI - I think a while back 1st gen Tracker guys who were offroading but keeping IFS were trying to make it so both sides of the diff used stub shafts like the d-side.  They made some kind of short shaft for the P-side that worked with a D-side shaft and bolted on.  Easy shaft replacement since the breakages is usually the CV's.

To do this you will have do a widening modification or get wider A arms to have enough room.  Also need to have a P-side inner CV shaft turned and a flange welded on so the D-side CV can bolt up.   It does make changing CV's much easier.

Trying to remember.

Thinking it did involve widening and possibly even a Toyota IFS front diff?  Now I'm thinking there was some Toyota DNA in there somewhere.

So I take it the circlip is supposed to be there even after a CV shaft swap right?

The replacement one didn't come with one.  Hopefully I can get the CV shaft out without breaking the old one and then remove it without breaking it and then install it on the new one without breaking it.

...if...if...if...if...

I didnt have to do any widening to use a stub shaft for the pass side to use the drivers side outer CV on the pass side, just a spare pass side CV stub from a shot CV axle and had a 3 bolt flange welded on.
Calmini does make a pass side stub shaft already for their Anvil axle housing, contact them to see if they will sell the stub by itself. A pass side drive shaft support is really required, they can be found thru Suzuki for 79$, I am having a CNC shop make a bunch for 1/5th the price!!!!

A pass side drive shaft support is really required, they can be found thru Suzuki for 79$, I am having a CNC shop make a bunch for 1/5th the price!!!!

Is this the nylon insert that goes behind the seal?  Are you planning on selling them?

Started late and the D-side was more of a chore to get out than I remembered.  Now the GF wants to go out to dinner.  Need to go throw it back together.

P-side will have to keep waiting.